


Every Second With You (I Want Another)

by TrainThoughts



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: 101 prompts on tumblr, Amy Santiago Loves Jake Peralta, But mostly fluff, Canon Compliant, Dancing, Drabble Collection, Excuse me ACAB, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Getting Back Together, Have some fluff for breakfast, Haven't written 100 but there will be more coming up, Idiots in Love, Jake Peralta Loves Amy Santiago, Just these two being cute together, Love, Maybe there'll be 100 one day, Missing Scenes, Mutual Pining, One Shot Collection, Or maybe it was 100 i cant remember, Pining! Amy, Romance, There is also some angsty stuff, Unbetaed as hell, Yup some good old pining, anyway, hey that rhymes, pining! jake, these two are so cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24983854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrainThoughts/pseuds/TrainThoughts
Summary: A collection of tiny tales revolving around the life and times of Jake and Amy.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 32
Kudos: 126





	1. You're really soft

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I wrote (and still write) these mostly as a writing excercise, for when I feel a writer's block coming on, or when I just feel like writing something different, or I'm bored and have the urge to write, but nothing serious - you get it.
> 
> The prompts are from a list I found on tumblr. I would have linked it, but I can't find it, and tumblr is a terrible place to search for lost things. I trieeeeeddddddd.
> 
> The chapter titles are the prompts! Story title is from _There's No Way_ by Lauv and Julia Michaels.
> 
> So, without further ado, presenting- mostly canon-compliant drabbles about our favorite Peraltiago, and the moments in their lives that define their love for each other. 
> 
> Okay, it's not that deep. It's mostly Jake and Amy being Jake and Amy a.k.a. being adorable idiots in love.

_Set sometime after The Bet and before Tactical Village_

The abandoned old rooftop where they had set up base for their stakeout was dusty as hell, and within five minutes of being there, Amy's allergies started acting up. 

"Santiago, your sneezes are like beacons in the dark. The whole of Brooklyn is going to know we are hiding here looking for a-" Jake checked the notes he had scribbled on his palm. "- a blonde male, Six foot Three, with a scar on his ...deck?! Oh, wait, maybe it's _neck_ -" 

Amy stopped him with a growl. "I'm sorry my allergies are _bothering you_ , Peralta. Let me just tell my immune system to _stop working_ -" She was cut off by another ginormous sneeze.

Jake sniggered. "Here." He said, throwing her a strip of Allegra. 

She barely just managed to catch it with the tips of her fingers, a sure-shot sign she was sick. She'd become a pro at catching things ever since Jake had decided to start chucking things at her from across their joint desks. "What? How do you have this?"

"From the time Cheddar came to work and you had to buy these. You left them on your desk and I kept 'em, sorry, forgot to return it." He stumbled over his words, face turning red. Was he... _blushing_?!

Amy raised her eyebrows at his reaction, but didn't press him. "Well, thanks. Turned out okay in the end." 

She took two just in case.

Unfortunately, they turned out to be the drowsy kind, and in less than an hour, she found her eyelids drooping. But, she was _Amy Santiago_ , she would _never_ slack off work for sleep, not when the perp could emerge at any time...

"Just...a 15 minute nap...wake me up in 15 minutes..." She mumbled to Jake, after she couldn't bear keeping her eyes open any longer, and dropping her head onto his shoulder, immediately drifted off.

Jake stilled at the feeling off her so close to him, and tried very hard to ignore the fireworks erupting in his belly. He swallowed, and pressed the binoculars into his face, as if the pain from them digging into his skin could distract him from the other emotions he was trying to ignore.

He checked the time on the wristwatch Amy wore (she'd taken to wearing it face up on her wrist, like Holt. Jake had teased her mercilessly about it.) And when the fifteen minutes were up, tried to wake her. Key word being 'tried.' 

"...no, you're so soft...please..." She muttered, not even opening her eyes, and sighed as she moved closer into him, twisting her hand around his arm. 

And yes, they were on a stakeout, they were still on the job, and Holt would not have been happy to see one of his detectives (cutely) snoring away, but...the perp was nowhere to be seen, the neighbourhood quiet and serene, and a drowsy Amy wouldn't have been of any help, anyway-

So Jake let her sleep, like the sap he was, because she was just perfect and God, he couldn't keep lying to himself anymore, he was absolutely faling for her and he couldn't deny her anything, so sue him. 

He was hooked.


	2. You smell nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Set during Boyle-Linetti Wedding_

After Aunt Susan, he danced with a couple of Boyle cousins - girl Christina and Leslie, he thought they were called. Then with Gina's half sister, who was doing _what_ there, he had no idea, because she was her sister from her father. 

He had no clue where Amy had gone. She'd watched him dance awkwardly with Aunt Susan until a golden haired, blue-eyed hunk of a man had whisked her off, to her delight, to the dance floor - or so Jake felt. He hadn't seen the slight hesitation in her face or the falter in her voice or the way she snuck a quick glance at Jake before she'd acquiesced. He kept an eye out for her, scanning the room whenever he stopped dancing, on the pretext of grabbing champagne from a passing waiter. 

Suddenly, his eyes fell on Amy ordering a drink at the bar. Leaving his current dance partner in the lurch, (meaning, he let go of his partner's hands and turned around) he headed towards her, not stopping to wonder exactly _why_ he'd done that.

She wasn't facing him, and he resisted the urge to tickle her sides as he slid into the seat next to her. He'd surprise-attacked her with tickles countless times before...but never when she was looking smokin' hot in a dress. 

She looked surprised to see him, but he cut her off before she could ask. "Why aren't you dancing?" 

Amy giggled, probably an effect of the margarita she'd been downing. "Because - I'm a lousy dancer."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you getting dance classes with Teddy?"

Amy shook her head and sighed. "Yeah...that didn't pan out."

Jake could think of a million ways to make fun of Teddy, but instead what came out of his mouth was- "You can't go to a wedding and get drunk and not dance. C'mon."

He took her hand and made to lead her to the floor. 

She pulled back, but didn't let go of his hand. "Jake...you don't want to- I, I actually still stink of garbage. I wiped myself down with face towels, but that stench...it's still in my hair..."

Jake pulled her right back towards him, smirking. "Oh, c'mon Santiago! I'm sure I stink worse during mornings at work, and you have to sit across me and take that- you tell me that at least twice a week! And, you did a _great_ job today. That's what the smell should remind you of!"

"Fiiiine," she grumbled, but the spark in her eyes gave her away. As he led her to the floor she squeezed his hand, and he squeezed right back, not looking at her face lest he break into a shy smile.

They started out normally - her hands on his shoulders, his on her waist, standing a foot apart. But Boyle jostled them as he ran upto the DJ with his favorite CD, and Amy was knocked into him.

Suddenly their chests were pressed together. They looked at each other awkwardly, but that awkwardness soon changed to tension, of the sexual variety. They stared into each other's eyes, not daring to speak or move, wondering what would happen next, the air heavy with emotion.

"The garbage stink is not _that_ strong- " Jake ventured, "- just the right mix of trash cans and baby wipes. You smell nice!" 

And Amy rolled her eyes; and the moment was over. 

But it would keep Jake awake, for many nights to come.


	3. I will always be there to protect you

"Aaaaa _my_!!!" Jake screeched from his kitchen. "It's _huge_!!"

Amy rolled her eyes, set down her mug and grabbed some paper towels and the bug spray. 

She dealt with it like she dealt with most things she knew she was an ace at - calmly, commandingly (which Jake found incredibly sexy and only slightly intimidating) and skillfully.

"There." She said as she flushed the cockroach down the toilet. "It's gone."

Jake, who had to have his fair share of melodrama,  
clasped his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut. "Thank you, my lord and saviour-" 

She cut in before he went off on a tangent. "See, _this_ is why you should move into _my_ apartment -"

Jake pouted, hands unclapsed. "Hey! New York is full of roaches, and if you think your apartment is exempt from their wrath-" 

"It _is_ exempt! It's spotless and clean, and bug-free! Also, kudos on the use of exempt." She flashed him a quick grin, a grin that held promises of future 'rewards'.

Jake tried to pretend that that grin meant nothing to him. "Well, they'll follow me there, because my stuff surely isn't as spotless as yours-" He shuddered, thinking of those disgusting insects that appeared out of nowhere and scared the shit out of him- 

Amy rolled her eyes, and put a finger over his lips. (Maybe those future rewards weren't as much in the future as he'd thought.) "Well, good thing I'll always be there to protect you." She mumbled, coming towards him with an expression he very well knew- 

Her use of 'always' hadn't escaped him, though. They hadn't said it yet, but right then, when Amy implied it, while they talked about _cockroaches_ of all things, Jake realised he could soon be ready, for taking that step.

Not yet, of course. Not that very moment - but every single day with her, he found himself moving closer and closer to the idea of having a 'forever' with her. 

And this thought made him more ecstatic than he thought he'd ever be. 

Now, if only they could agree on whose place they would move in to...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flushing toilet paper is not a good idea but when cockroaches are involved... still probably no. But. Cockroaches.


	4. I'm cold. Come closer!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime during late season three, I guess?

"I'm cold. Come closer!" 

Jake looked at his beloved girlfriend. His beloved, always cold, girlfriend. "No." 

"Jaaaaaake." She whined.

Jake rolled his eyes. "Ames, I love you, but it's warm as hell! And you won't let me turn on the air conditioner! _And_ we just had a lot of, um, excercise!" 

Amy had the audacity to look offended. "It's _not_ warm as hell! It rained today! There's a slight chill in the air-" 

Jake didn't even dignify that with a response. He couldn't bear to put on anything but boxers, and the girl next to him was fully dressed in sweats. He threw a blanket on her instead. 

"The blanket is not as good as you-" She tried.

Jake groaned, willing himself to resist her puppy face. 

She took off her hoodie, leaving her in nothing but a loose spaghetti-strapped top in which she always woke to find her boobs spilling out. "Look, now I'm colder." 

Jake narrowed his eyes at her. It was a battle of wills, now. He threw another blanket at her. (She had dozens.)

She bit her lip, not in the standard seductive way, but the 'thinking of what to do next' way. Slowly, she slid her hands into the waistband of her sweats, trying to coax him into coming within touching range. 

Of course, that was when Jake promptly lost the battle. He bit his lip, also not in the seductive way, but the 'must hide my excited smile so my girlfriend doesn't realise how easy I am' way. "Oh, okay, wow, why don't you take off all your clothes, and then I'll warm you up really good-" 

Amy smiled, but didn't take her hand out. "Oh, Peralta, don't make promises you can't keep."

Jake gulped. They'd gone three amazing, _mind-blowing_ rounds just before this conversation, so he was pretty much beat. Also, it was so hot in the room, and he was sweaty and tired and Amy was making him hotter- 

Amy smirked at him. "We can cuddle instead, only if you come closer-" 

"Urgh, fiiiiine." He flopped and squirmed his way towards her, twisting up the sheets. "I'm not going to be able to fall asleep, just saying. I run hot and you smother me." He muttered darkly. 

"Shhhhh-" Amy said with a chuckle, happy at the prospect of getting her boyfriend's body to warm up her perpetually cold toes. She threw her leg around his thigh, and an arm around his chest, and burrowed her head in his armpit. He kept mumbling something about 'can't sleep' and 'who d'you think you are', but still ran his fingers up and down Amy's back, lulling her to sleep. Amy mirrored his motion by stroking his sides with her fingertips.

Needless to say, the liar was asleep in Amy's embrace within ten minutes, and didn't wake until her three alarms went off in quick succession at 6:45, 6:46 and 6:47 AM.


	5. I've never seen such gorgeous eyes before!

They were all gathered around the newborn Ava. She was awake, and fed and content and was blinking slowly up at the world around her with unfocused eyes. They passed her around, cooing at her pudgy fists and her puffy cheeks.

"I've never seen such gorgeous eyes before," Amy marveled, rocking the baby back and forth in her arms. 

Jake looked at the sight before him: his girlfriend bouncing a baby, smiling brightly down at it, and he felt a warmth spread right up to his toes. Charles nudged him. "Look - that'll be her with _your_ baby soon! It'll have your eyes, and- "

Jake shushed him at the same time Amy looked up. Their eyes met and Jake looked down at his shoes, shyly. They'd only been dating for four months, they were nowhere near baby talk, leave it to Charles to make a good thing awkward- 

Amy watched as Jake blushed at Charles's words. He was so cute when he was embarrased, his cheeks would turn ruddy and his lips would go all pouty. 

She thought she would be more mortified, to hear a coworker talk about her and Jake's (still hypothetical, of course!!!) future babies, but another quick glance at her adorable boyfriend, and she found herself thinking, it might not be the worst thing in the world to have a baby with Jake's warm, beautiful, brown eyes.


	6. The stars look especially lovely tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set sometime after The Road Trip

"The stars look especially lovely tonight..." Jake muttered in awe. He wasn't usually a beauty-of nature- appreciating person, but _man_ , was this twinkling, shining sky _something_.

"Maybe it's the fact that we can actually see them," Amy joked.  
The bright Brooklyn skyline rarely allowed for such stargazing endeavors. However, this spot upstate, where they were supposed to be waiting for an informant, was set below an absolutely blazing sky. "But, wow, Peralta - _you_ wanting to stop and smell the flowers? Love hath changed you." 

Jake turned to look at her, so fast he cricked his neck. "Love? What love?!" He couldn't explain why his heart rate had picked up, why his face felt so hot.

Amy looked bewildered at his sudden reaction. "I mean, I was talking about Sophia- "

"Do you think I love her?" Jake's eyes widened. 

Amy looked even more baffled. "Jake, how am _I_ supposed to know that!?"

"Well, Amy, how am _I_ supposed to that?! This is the first time I've- I mean, this is my first serious relationship in a long time, and I'm not sure- " 

Amy hummed, and Jake stopped rambling. He put his head in his hands. _Why did they have to talk about feelings?_

"Jake...I think when you know, you _know._ I'm not going to pretend to know much of it myself, but..." She threw him a weird glance. "I think it's not something you have to think too hard about."

They don't talk about it again that night, choosing instead to focus on finding constellations in the night sky. Jake's knowledge was limited to the little and the big dipper, so Amy took it upon herself to give the boy a little education. After all, when else and where else were they going to get the opportunity? Amy hoped that they would get to see a shooting star, she was in dire need of a wish, having just gotten out of a relationship, and her emotions going haywire due to the man next to her. 

On her right, Jake was desperately hoping for a wishing star, too. He felt that he was bumbling wildly through his relationship with Sophia, and Amy's confession about liking him had further steered him off course- he really, really liked Sophia, but now the word love wouldn't leave his brain. Was it time to say it? Should he be saying it? Amy said he would know when he did, but _would_ he be able to realise it? 

And he didn't know it then, he was feeling too muddled, and dazed; and he wouldn't know it for a while - he would get scared, and he would tell Sophia he loved her and she would throw it back in his face, and he would think love was a waste of time, but then, one day, he would find his way to Amy.

And then, one night, they would be relaxing in bed, after a long day of work, and she would find a typo in a crossword puzzle, and _that's_ when Jake would realise what Amy meant. He would realise what love was, what love is, and what love would always be, for him - 

He would realise, comprehend, understand: 

Love is Amy Santiago.


	7. I'm here for my daily fix of hugs and kisses

It had only been a month of dating, and they hadn't really found a rhythm yet. It was hard, given the unsure hours of their job, and their devotion to said jobs.

They hadn't really graduated to spending the night yet, and on the rare occasion that they both got off early, and weren't tired, they'd find their way to one apartment, eat pizza and watch a movie while cuddling, have sex, and leave with a kiss, leaving enough time for a good night's sleep. 

A pattern only began to form when Jake got suspended for 'not minding his own business' as Wuntch put it. 

He found his way back to his apartment, disgruntled and irritated and overall just mad. The sinking feeling in his heart, as he remembered the disappointment on Holt's face, was debilitating for him. All he wanted to do was be alone and mope. 

Amy came over, and tried to get him to eat, but he wasn't even the state of mind to be able to leave his bed. For two days she came over after work, left him dinner and tried to get him to sit up.

On the third day, she'd had enough. She could tell he hadn't been eating properly (or showering) and worried about his health, she stayed behind to make sure he ate, and stayed over to make sure he had breakfast as well. He was more likely to eat if she was there to cajole him after every bite. She'd wake him with a kiss, and leave with a hug. She gave him stickers to commend him for his progress (stayed out of bed for more than an hour! Showered with soap and shampoo! Drank water!) And for some reason they worked, motivating him enough to look into the case again. Wrapped in her arms, he felt at peace with the world. Lips together, he felt she was sucking out the darkness from his life. He could spend his entire life like this, under the glow of her touch-

-Then he solved the case and didn't see Amy for two days - they both were working hard - and he missed her so bad. Jake had probably never in his life missed another human while he had work to do. This was a first for him, and he wondered if he was falling harder than he thought. 

Of course, they'd been texting and all, but he'd do anything to feel her hands in his, remembering how she used to run her fingers through his hair to wake him up. He hadn't even seen her for two, almost three, whole days, and he was beginning to feel a bit touch-starved.

He drove to her apartment as soon as he could. She was just parking her car, back from the evidence gathering trip she and Rosa had been on.

"Jake!" She exclaimed, shutting her car door loudly. "I thought you were still busy with the Oolong Slayer case!" 

"Just some paperwork left-" Jake shrugged her concerns off, to which she shook her head knowingly. "- anyway, I'm here for my daily fix of hugs and kisses, which I have missed for _so long_ -" 

She laughed and threw her arms around him, and they kissed right there on the sidewalk, until a car drove by and the immature youths inside decided to whoop and jeer and honk at the unsuspecting couple. 

"Why don't we complete the quota of kisses upstairs, hmmm?" Amy whispered, and the responding grin Jake gave her, was bright enough to light up the street.


	8. Can I kiss you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during New Captain

The four kamikazes had been downed in quick succession after they'd arrived, and once again, the awkward almost-couple was left with nothing to do. 

The alcohol didn't seem to have hit Jake's bloodstream yet, and he fidgeted with his fingers as he watched Amy clear her throat, announce she needed to go to the washroom, and make her way there, with his eyes following her all the way. 

When he broke his gaze, he saw their waitress looking at him with bemusement. Maybe it was slightly creepy to stare at your date while they walked to the bathroom. Scratch that, it was _definitely_ creepy to stare at your date while they walked to the bathroom. This was _Amy_ , she was not just any random date, she was literally his dream girl (she'd appeared in countless dreams) and -  
Okay, he was feeling the alcohol now.

Amy returned, a couple minutes later, and Jake couldn't help but notice that she was swaying slightly. One look at her face- flushed, with wide eyes - told him she was feeling the shots, too. 

"Hey, Jake!" She said loudly. "Sorry about that. I hope I didn't take too long?"

"What? No, it was barely a few minutes-"

"Oh, good, okay, i just needed to-" she waved her hands around weirdly, before realizing what she was doing and stopping.

Jake peered at her again. She'd definitely reapplied that bright red lipstick. 

He looked up at her eyes suddenly, before she could notice that he was staring at her lips-

-Only to find that she was staring at his lips...

"Amy?" He croaked out.

She jerked upright. "Sorry!" Her eyes widened. "The shots, yes, y'know, I get a little loopy-"

She bit her plump red lip and shrugged apologetically. Jake was about to tease her about her drunkenness scale, but that little action sent all rational thoughts skittering from his mind. 

"Ummm, should we order?" Jake asked hesitantly, and much to his chagrin, a little faintly. 

_What was happening?_ They had worked together for four years now, and yet the sexual tension between, though ever-present, them had never reached such staggering heights. Was it the drinks? Was it something in the air? Was it that red dress she was wearing? Was it his haircut? Was it that kiss, THE kiss from that morning? 

Jake struggled to pull himself back together before he could think himself dizzy. Amy was looking at him, also seemingly as dazed as he was. _What was in those drinks?_

He opened his mouth, perhaps to repeat his question, perhaps to declare his undying love for her, but she beat him to it. 

"Can I kiss you?" 

Unfortunately, Jake's reaction to those words, words that he'd been dying to hear for _so long_ , was _laughter_. 

Well, it was nervous, stilted laughter, but it still made Amy's face fall, and then Jake wanted to kill himself. 

"No- Ames- I didn't mean..." He sat there opening and closing his mouth like a fish, rapidly scouring his brain for the right thing to say. 

Amy seemed very interested in a spot to the left of his head. "No, no, no; haha, what was I _thinking_ , I'm sorry-"

"Ames- _Ames_! You-you just caught me off-guard, is all. I- I'm not going to lie, I was kinda thinking the same...but- but we're both still tipsy, and um- well, maybe later? I mean-" He ran his fingers through his newly shorn, well-styled hair, rather violently. "You know. We have the - the rule, and-" 

"Yes!" Amy said, nodding vehemently. "You're right! Shall we order?"

They refused to meet each others gaze for a while; unreading, unmoving eyes staring down their respective menu cards as if trying to telepathically deliver their orders to the chef. 

But...our pining, oblivious young couple in love, kept stealing glances at the other, over the top of the menu, unaware that the other was doing the same. 

Amy kept throwing glances at Jake, who she'd see was concentrating like never before on the Salads page - as if he'd eaten a salad in his life - and she'd look down back at her own, disappointed- at what exactly? That, she was too scared to analyze.

Then, Jake would turn his gaze to Amy, admiring the way the light bounced off her shiny, shiny hair, and feel a jolt of sadness when it wasn't her eyes that met him. 

The cycle repeated a few times- even their waitress, who was staring at them from the bar, waiting for them to order, rolled her eyes and moved on with her life. First dates were the worst, and an older couple had just come in, the kind likely to tip generously- and she had to get there before Tom the Table Hijacker did. 

Finally, _finally_ \- their cycles synced up- that is to say, they looked up at the same time, only to find the other already staring- and luckily, this broke the wheel. Amy giggled first, followed by a hearty chuckle from Jake.

Amy threw down her menu.  
"We're just making this awkward for ourselves. We're friends right? I mean, at the very least?" She continued hurriedly, when Jake's brow furrowed at 'friends'. 

"We can find something to talk about!" She pressed on. She was not going to let this date go sour. This date followed years of pining and lovesick yearning- on either side- this wasn't a romance that deserved to fizzle out. If it had to go out, it would go out in a blaze of glory, after burning bright as a star. (Preferably, it would burn bright forever. But that was a problem for another day. Right now- dinner.) 

"You're right," Jake declared with that air of assurance that always put Amy at ease. He reached out and squeezed her hand- just once, not lingering or anything, but a quick pressure of comfort and assertion - and flipped his menu to the Appetizers page. "Hey, so do you think one Cheesy Nacho Mountain will be big enough for me, or should I get two?"

Amy gaped at him. "One mountain is meant to serve three people, Jake! I pity your toilet," She laughed, shaking her head at his absolute ridiculousness, and it was easier from then on. 

***************

Nearly two hours and one nacho mountain later, found them thanking their very patient waitress and heading out of the restaurant, Jake grinning at Amy as he helped her with her coat.  
She smiled back at him, a little shy, a little sweet, a lot sexy - the kind that sent shivers down his back and made him all flustered. Again, he found himself reaching for something to say, before he did something stupid like press her back against her car and kiss her senseless. 

_Hey! - car - conversation topic found -_

"Right, so you drove your car here, didn't you? I was-"

He stopped when he took a peek at her face, to find she was regarding him with a twinkle in her eye. 

"Can I kiss you?" This time, it was louder, bolder, more _confident_ , not clouded by tequila. 

Jake could feel himself freezing- _shit no what do I do Amy wants to kiss me its AMY and kiss and Amy and shit don't mess this up don't mess this up_ \- but he stopped himself before he could close off from her. Slowly, a smile grew on his face.

"I ate that whole mountain," he warned her. 

"And I ate fish," she shrugged at him. 

Jake tried to pull a disgusted face, but the grin on his face refused to fade. "Ew, I hate fi-"

But then Amy grabbed the sides of his face, and if her breath smelled of fish, Jake couldn't have told, because he'd stopped breathing. 

" _Answer_ the question, Jake."

Where had bossy Amy suddenly come from? He was used to her bossing him around during police work, and he wasn't going to lie, it turned him on a bit...but _this_ type of bossiness, was definitely, _infinitely_ more powerful. In turning him on, that is.

So in lieu of an answer, he slid his arms around her waist, and brought her as close as he could, without actually touching. 

"Yes, Ames. You can kiss me." And he meant to be cocky, but it came out sounding rather desperate- not that Amy minded. She gave him a smirk, and tangled her fingers in his hair, before coming close- so close...

All throughout dinner, Jake had felt his tummy was filled with rocks. But they weren't rocks, they were unlit firecrackers. And the touch of Amy's lips to his, the swirl of her tongue around his, the press of her chest to his- set the crackers on fire, and the show that they set ablaze within his soul would have put any respectable New Year's Eve fireworks to shame.


	9. I can't stop thinking about you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pining Jake maxxxxxxx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Set during Johnny and Dora: the morning after their undercover mission._

How Jake had managed to haul his butt to work that morning, he didn't know. 

After spending most of the night agonizing about the two kisses - _fake_ kisses, he reminded himself bitterly- he'd fallen into a disturbed slumber at dawn, only to be rudely awoken by the croaking of his alarm in a couple of hours. 

He'd woken up with a headache, and he could barely concentrate on cleaning and feeding himself as he tried to get ready for work.

Work. Where he'd see Amy again. Amy. Whom he'd kissed, last night. Last night, when he'd been pressed against a tree by one of the hottest women in existence, who also happened to be his colleague, and one of his best friends, and apparently: his never-girlfriend.

Jake growled, in anger and frustration, giving up on trying to find clean socks. He would go sock-less for one day. So what if he got a shoe bite? God knew he was going to be facing worse that day - the prospect of having to sit in front of Amy all day and not think about the sensations of her lips on his, was plain torture to him at the moment.

And this was _before_ our poor detective even found out that his beloved Captain and father figure, was leaving the Nine-Nine. 

Yup. No socks was very soon going to be the very least of his problems. 

When he finally managed to drag himself into the bullpen, Amy was already at her desk, typing away. Her hair was in one of her signature tight buns, not a hair out of place. Her face, calm and collected in the face of a buttload of paperwork - was extra glowy that day - maybe they'd changed the lights in the bullpen? All the psyching up Jake had done in the parking lot simply melted away at the sight of her, and he felt that _emptiness_ in his chest. She was right there in front of him, and he _missed_ her. 

Quietly, without drawing any attention (a.k.a. in a very un-Jake-ly way), Jake deposited himself at his desk, and pulled out some paperwork, trying to stop the string of expletives that threatened to leave his mouth when the tiny writing on the forms made the back of his eyeballs pound. 

He hadn't noticed Amy look up at him and then hurriedly look away when he exited the elevator, and he didn't realise her staring at him then, not until she cleared her throat, rather pointedly. 

He looked up to find a bemused expression on her face. And also, maybe a hint of...uncertainty? Or was it worry? Worry for what? About him? About how he'd react, concerning last night? About- 

"Jake? Jake!" Oops. He'd begun thinking himself in circles again, and now there was just plain worry on Amy's face. 

"Yeah? 'Ssup!" He said, cringing as soon as the words left his mouth. Even to him, his tone sounded fake and falsely cheery. 

Amy raised an eyebrow at him. "Your entry-into-bullpen-to-actually-beginning-work-time is usually not less than thirty minutes...and today, under thirty seconds? Who are you and what have you done to my Jake?" 

Both of them cringed at that. _My Jake_ ? _My_ Jake?! _What_ was Amy thinking, saying stuff like that after last night? Did she think he was over it? Was _she_ over it? Was it all a joke to her? _Oh god_ , did she expect him to joke about it, this _soon_? 

Amy let out a huff of air and looked down at her feet, a frown on her face. Jake realised that it had affected her just as much as it had affected him, and he could see her beating herself up about it. 

"Just...deadline is today afternoon, court next week," he tried to explain it away. "Sarge called me in the morning and threatened to break my car if I didn't get it done, so-" 

She nodded at him, but her expression was still a bit forlorn, a bit shaken. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, and Jake had the sudden urge to pull it down with his thumb. _Shit, would these thoughts never go away?_

"I'm gonna get some coffee, you want some? I noticed you didn't bring any this morning..." She said, getting up from her chair quickly. If Jake hadn't been so wrapped up in his own head, he'd have realised she just wanted to escape the conversation. But all he could think about was _whaaat, she'd noticed that tiny detail??? Why was she noticing him? What did it mean?!;_ completely ignoring the fact that he'd pretty much memorised her favorite foods and when she ate them, all from 'noticing' her all the time. 

He watched as she scampered off to the kitchen. The baby blue blouse she was in was very flattering, to say the least. To say the _most_ , well, it did a little something-something to Jake's heart. 

Amy came back with two steaming coffees, and placed Jake's sickly sweet one on his desk. Jake didn't notice the way her hand shook, or how she went out of her way to be as far from his desk as possible. 

"Thanks, Santiago," Jake smiled at her, and looked down at his coffee before Amy's responding grin could make him confess his undying love for her or something. 

"Hey...Jake?" Amy said, hesitantly.   
He groaned internally. How would he ever get over her if had to keep looking into her warm, melted chocolate eyes? 

"Yeah?" He asked, trying to be nonchalant, moving things around his desk. 

"Are-are you okay?" He looked up at her, surprised. "You seem - off." She finished, awkwardly.

Jake's first instinct was to brush her concerns off, but something in him made him stop. She knew that he was looking sick, what was the point in lying? He didn't want to drive a bigger wedge into their relationship, which already was hanging precariously on the edge, despite their talk yesterday about 'not making things weird at work.'

"Just a bit of a headache." He shrugged. 

Amy's eyebrows knitted in concern, but then she pursed her lips. "It was the cold meat pizza, wasn't it? I _told_ you! Do you want some Zantac or something? God, cold day-old pizza is..." She shuddered.

Jake couldn't tell her that he'd neglected to have dinner last night, his stomach full with the sour worms he ate when he was feeling down. Why was he feeling down? Why, he'd just told his crush of two years, with a barely managed straight face, that they were better off being just friends! 

"Nah, I'm cool." He murmured, and went back to his paperwork.

But he couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus. He couldn't bring himself to _care_ about freaking paperwork, not when the woman he was _sure_ was the love of his life, was sitting right in front of him, and yet the distance between them had never seemed so large, so un-traversable. 

Amy herself was buried in her own paperwork, occasionally making notes on multicolored Post-Its or highlighting a line. Her hands flew, and the constant sounds of highlighter caps being opened, and sticky paper being torn off, of pens being clicked open was being doubly, triply jarring to Jake's poor head today. Unable to help himself, he buried his face in his arms and grumbled to himself. Why couldn't his mind stop straying to Amy every three fucking seconds!?

That made Amy look up.   
" _Jake._ Are you sure you're okay?" 

"I can't stop thinking about you," he muttered, into his hands, quiet enough that Amy couldn't hear, but still startling himself so that he sat upright with a jolt, heart racing. He hadn't meant to _think_ that, let alone say it out loud! 

He looked at her, eyes wide, mouth open, hoping against hope that she hadn't translated his mumbles. She didn't seem to have, still looking at him with a concerned, protective look on her face.

Why did she have to be worried about him? She sure was not making this get-over-her thingy easy for him. He swallowed hard, bracing himself to blurt out another stupid excuse about stupid paperwork that his stupid pounding head didn't agree with- 

But then, Captain Holt exited his cabin, immediately commanding the attention of his officers.   
He announced he was leaving the Nine-Nine, Gina declared she would go with him, Scully was rejected from joining them. And just as suddenly as he had left his office, Captain Holt left the precinct, leaving the bullpen reeling with shock. 

Jake looked over at Amy. She looked highly distressed. Muttering an 'excuse me' to no one in particular, she fled the scene, like she couldn't bear to be there for another second. 

Jake collapsed onto his chair, mind numb, chest cold, mouth dry, eyes wet. It was barely 11 AM, yet this day seemed quickly on it's way to becoming one of the worst in his life. 

(Some thirty minutes or so later, Jake, unable to stand the constant discussion in the bullpen about WHY Holt left, WHO would replace him, WHAT was happening- would leave the bullpen, just wanting to get out of there, away from the misery, and somehow would find himself thinking, _where did Amy go? I hope she's alright._ He knew she'd be taking this especially hard. She'd been so pleased to have him as a captain, so happy to have found a mentor in him, and now it had all been taken away from her in a heartbeat. Not to mention how bad she must have been feeling for Holt- the man had worked hard his entire life for this opportunity, only to have it snatched away from him. With increasing concern for her, he'd find himself looking for her, making a beeline to the evidence locker, her preferred break-down place. He'd find her there, alone, morose, in desperate need of comfort- same as him, then. The raw hurt would bring down the walls they'd put around themselves, and they'd find the other more open and vulnerable than ever before, leading to some heavy truths tumbling out. So what if these truths were in the form of a long-desired kiss? The rest, as they say, is history.)


	10. Let's get to know each other over dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake is back from Florida

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some swearing in here be warned kids

The FBI flew Jake back on a private jet two days after the squad reached Brooklyn. Holt had offered to wait back with him in Coral Palms, but Jake knew how much the man missed his husband- at least he'd gotten to hug Amy before they left. Kevin had been in France. 

Amy and Charles went to pick him up at LaGuardia, and after some difficult maneuvering around his injured leg, fit him into Charles' car, and the man was finally, _finally_ on his way home. 

The throbbing in his leg and the overall restlessness Jake felt at being completely bedridden for the past three days, led him to being cranky and snappy; shrugging off Amy's concerns and Charles's hang-out plans. All he wanted to do was collapse on his bed and wallow in self-pity and proper New York pizza grease. 

He'd been dying to see, feel and be with Amy for the past six months, and now that they were together, he found himself only able to see the things he'd missed out on. Their one-year anniversary. Amy's birthday. The arrival of Charles's son. He'd missed half-a-year's worth of dates and nights-in and memories with Amy, and that fact grated on him. Of course things had been awkward when they'd reunited - so much could happen in six months- and he'd missed it all! 

When he'd left NYC, hints of an upcoming spring were beginning to show in the city- his and Amy's first spring together. There had been talks of outdoor picnics, of walks in parks, of maybe, maybe him meeting her parents at Easter? And all that had been taken away from him. 

Amy said it didn't matter, that they were cool, they were back in sync, but Jake knew better. Sooner or later, someone was going to reference something that happened in his absence, and he would feel left out, and everyone would feel awkward, and they'd go out of their way to not reference those six months in his presence, making him feel even more left out - it was a vicious cycle waiting to happen. 

The dark thoughts clouded his brain, and the ride back to his apartment was made up of stilted conversation, embarrased glances and stiff silences. 

Amy quietly asked Charles to not accompany them to Jake's apartment - Charles was terribly disappointed, but even he knew a moody Jake was a hazard to be around. He reluctantly acquiesced, leaving them at Jake's doorstep with a 'see you tomorrow!' 

"He shall not see me tomorrow," Jake grumbled. It took him a minute to turn around with his crutches, and this maddened him even more. 

He ignored Amy's attempts to help him hobble his way to his apartment, and she had to try very hard not to take it to heart. 

Once inside the tiny studio apartment, Jake immediately crashed onto his bed and closed his eyes. It had been too much- coming back to his hometown after not knowing if he'd ever come back, and it had been overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. Overwhemiming because, well, fuck, he was _home_ ; and underwhelming because the city went on with its usual hustle bustle, like nothing had changed- and Jake was hit with a sudden existential crisis- _did he not matter at all?_

Somewhere, at the back of his mind, he knew that he was being irrational and unreasonable, but irritation and anger were at the forefront, and unfortunately for Amy, she was right in his fire zone.

"So, do you want to take a shower-?" She asked, straightening his bags, and opening cabinets, and _was she unpacking for him?_

"Nah. Too tired. What are you doing?" 

"Just clearing some of the clutter away! I cleaned the apartment out yesterday, so it isn't too much, don't worry. You sure you don't want to take a shower, freshen up?"

"I said _no_ , Ames." How did it all feel so normal for her? He hadn't seen her in six fucking months and here she was, returning to their previous domesticity without skipping a beat- his brain was too tired to catch up, and she was running way ahead. It made him dizzy.

She looked like she wanted to dispute that, but the look on his face made her reconsider. "That's alright. Should I order us some pizza then? I know you've been-"

Jake didn't even try to stifle his groan. "Amy. Seriously. I just want to go to bed."

Amy tsk-ed. "Yes, but you have to eat-"

"I'm not hungry."

"I'm sure you will be by the time the pizza gets here-'

"No, I don't think so."

"Jaaake! C'mon, of course you want pizza!"

"You have no clue what I want or don't want, okay?"

Amy jerked her head up from where she was scrolling down her phone. Silence, heavy and suffocating settled down on them as they both struggled to find a way out. 

Amy tried to play it off as a joke. "Jake, I mean, you _always_ want pizza-"

"Oh my god, stop pretending you know everything about me! If you knew anything, you'd know that I was to be left the fuck alone right now! Leave me alone, okay? Thanks for the ride and everything, but you can go home now!"

He'd never raised his voice at her, never yelled at her before. With an ashamed look on her face, she set his pills on the counter, picked up her purse, and turned to leave. 

"There's food in the fridge." She said, by way of parting, and then she was gone. 

Of course, then Jake sat alone, feeling like an absolute asshole. He should have run after her. It was his first instinct- to run after her, pull her into his arms, beg for her forgiveness- but then he'd remembered his bum leg, how stupid Figgis had put him in this position- lonely and angry at the world- and his blood boiled at the unfairness of the whole thing.

He didn't want to think about that right now- he just want to stew in his sorrow, and he did not want to drag Amy down with him.

He washed down his painkillers with some beer - wow, Amy had really outdone herself, filling his kitchen with fruit, cereal, sour candy, orange soda, beer and frozen nuggets - and this made him feel like an even bigger jerk, so he drank until he fell asleep.

Jake didn't wake up the next day until the late afternoon, knocked out by the painkillers and emotional exhaustion. He lay in bed for a while after that, trying to get his bearings, when he remembered with a pang, the argument yesterday. 

Immediately, he felt guilt and shame flood his body. He hadn't meant all that he'd said. He'd bundled up all his grumpiness and unloaded it on Amy. Without missing a beat, he grabbed his phone and dialled Amy. She'd charged it for him last night. She was an angel of a person- one he didn't deserve. 

She picked up on the first ring, filling Jake with hope. _Maybe things were salvageable_. 

"Ames?" He breathed, half expecting a cold 'hello.'

Instead he heard her exhale. "Hey, Jake." Soft, sweet. Damn, she was too good for him.

_Um._ He hadn't really thought out what to say to her, he'd been too busy wondering what would happen if she refused to answer. Luckily, she picked up the slack for him.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Yes. Yeah."

"Okay. Don't take your pain pills before eating something first, alright?"

And that nearly brought Jake to tears. Fuck, she'd saved his life more than once, in more ways than one, and he repaid her by being a cranky bitch. "Ames." He croaked. "Listen...about last night-"

"No, it's okay-"

"It's not okay. It's not. I was being disgusting to you. I'm sorry, and I want to make it up to you."

"Jake...you don't have to- I was probably being to overbearing, and naggy, and - and I realise, you must have been in pain, and since I shot you, you probably didn't want to see me..."

Jake nearly laughed at that, because god, could this intelligent, bright woman ever be more wrong? " _Amy Santiago_. I cannot let you think for even _one second_ that you hurt me- you fucking saved my life- you are the reason I'm alive, you know that right?" 

Silence. "Jake-" 

And he heard it. The tell tale tremble that made him tear up, himself. 

"Amy. Please. I - I reacted very, _very_ badly yesterday, and you have every right to be pissed at me and to make me grovel. I'm going to make it up to you. You deserve it. That, and so much more."

"Fine." She chuckled, her voice still shaky. "What do you have in mind? I could come around-"

"No, no, I'll come pick you up."

She was conspicuous in her silence. Smart woman as she was, she didn't say anything about his leg and him going places, lest he lose it again. 

Jake waited for her to protest about his leg, but when she didn't, realised it was still out of some stupid residual guilt for shooting him. God, if only she knew that she was the last person he blamed for that sitaution. Well, it was his job to make her know. Make her realise that she was the light in his dark, dreary life. "Let's go out for dinner, okay? Get to know each other again. It's been a while, no?"

"Yes," she said, evidently crying.  
"I missed you, Jake."

Her voice, it tugged at his heart. "I missed you too, babe. I love you."

He hadn't thought this through.

He'd loaded up on the painkillers, yet his thigh pounded with every step he took. The awkward gait was making his back ache. When he arrived at Amy's door, he was sweaty, dishevelled, panting, in pain, exhausted.

She was wearing jeans and a tee, nothing fancy, and Jake was glad she hadn't dressed up too much, because the moment he saw her, he was hit with the sudden realization that his leg was not going to allow them to go anywhere that night. 

Amy raised her eyebrows at his sorry state, but didn't comment. "Come in, babe." Amy said. "Sit down a while and then we can go out." 

"Actually-" Jake said sheepishly "Can we stay in?" 

Her eyes lit up with relief. "Jake...you have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Babe, you need to rest! And relax. Since I'm dressed anyway, how about I run down and get some ice cream? We can eat or while we wait for the pizza. Or no pizza!" She exclaimed, remembering last night's argument about pizza.

"I really want pizza," he said loudly. "Of course I want pizza."

"Meat supreme?" She asked, getting out her phone to order.

"You know me too well." He winked at her, trying hard to pour apologies with every word.

Amy rolled her eyes when she realised what he'd said. "Funny, twelve hours ago I didn't know you at all, apparently?" She smacked his butt in retribution, while she helped him get settled on her couch, his leg propped up on the coffee table. 

Their eyes met, and Jake felt his body become ten times lighter. All his frustration, his bottled up resentment vanished when she gave him that smile. All the stress he had been carrying melted away. He was filled with the assurance that they were okay, they were fine. This was still good. Their relationship was still good.

Six months away, it would be stupid to not expect any hiccups. They'd been together for barely ten months when he'd left, anyway. But when all was said and done, at the end of the day, they were made of much stronger stuff. Their's was a love that could endure, and he only had this wonderful woman to thank for that. And he did, that evening, with all his might.

He had Amy by his side and nothing else mattered. Nothing could go wrong as long as she was on his team, and if it did, they would overcome it, together.


	11. Perhaps You Should

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt for this chapter is 'Our AC is out and it's the middle of summer' but that would make a pretty weird chapter title, wouldn't it? 
> 
> Also, warning- this chapter contains a fair bit of swearing- unavoidable in the kind of weather that makes you want to melt into a puddle and die.

The mid-July sun was sweltering hot that Sunday morning, leaving the occupants of Apt # 458, 2343 Smith Street, sweaty and annoyed. 

The heat was too much to do anything productive; it made Jake restless and Amy irritable. Their air conditioning had broken down the night before, much to their horror. The blame game was being played in earnest.

"... _you_ were the one who bragged about getting the AC maintenance done before every summer-"

"Well, yeah, but this summer has been so busy! We got married, _remember_? And then we went on our _honeymoon_ and then the precinct was a mess- I don't see _you_ stepping up -"

"But this is your job! I wouldn't even know _who_ to call-"

"Oh, _my_ job, is it? So because I'm a woman, all home-related stuff is _mine_ to do?"

"Ames, c'mon, you know that's _not_ what I meant, at all!"

"Whatever. I'm too hot to come over there and beat your ass."

_Over there_ being his side of the bed. She was on hers, a good three feet of separation between them, as they tried to get as far as they could from each other's body heat, without having to move. God, it was _hot_.

Amy's phone pinged, and she picked it up. Before the screen lit up, she saw her face reflected back at her, a sheen of sweat over her forehead, her nose as shiny as her hair usually was.  
" _Yeesh_ ," she muttered to herself. 

"Whozzat?" Jake asked, and Amy was pulled from her internal bemoaning of her oily hair that she'd washed only _yesterday_ , dammit. 

"It's a...oh, fuck. _Fuck_!"

"Wha-"

"They can't send anyone for the AC until _Thursday_. Shit!" 

Jake groaned. "We'll _drown_ in our own sweat."

"Urgh, I know, what's it so fucking humid for?" She clenched her teeth. "What do we do now?"

Jake yawned. "...wanna have sex?"

Amy rolled her eyes. They couldn't bring themselves to turn their necks to look at the other, and this man was suggesting doing high intensity cardio. " _Sure_ , babe. You gonna get on top?"

"...no?"

"Well, fuck off then." 

"Fair enough." He conceded. 

Suddenly, their lives were thrown in a mix when the doorbell rang.

Jake was quicker. "Not it!"

"Not - fuck!"

"Sorry, darling." Jake said. He didn't seem very sorry. "You lose." 

" _Jaaaake_..."

"No."

"Please! Look, I'll have to put something on, you can go shirtless-" 

"No."

The doorbell rang again. Amy was getting desperate. "We can have sex-"

"Nahhh. You're right, it's too hot."

"I'll be on top! I'll do the work!"

He stopped to consider for a second, and Amy was feeling very smug, for knowing her husband so well, the absolute sucker, when he decided to break her heart by not being predictable. 

"Opening a door is so much easier than that, isn't it? Just go, babe."

"Urgh. I _hate_ you!" She pulled on Jake's discarded grey T-shirt. It smelled strongly of his sweat. "I hate you. I'm going to divorce you, you just watch." 

He only stuck his tongue out at her. "Ooooo-kay. As long as you get the house with the broken AC in the divorce-" 

She threw him as mean as a glare she could muster. "Fuck you." 

She trudged to the front door, hoping against hope that maybe it was the AC mechanic - _he'd come to save them, or maybe they'd won a free AC somehow, or a trip to the North Pole..._

But, no. It was a gangly teenager with an acne problem and severely greasy hair, who looked annoyed out of his mind. "Amy Santiago?" He muttered, snarky and irritated. 

"Yeah, that's-"

"Here-"

He dumped a large cardboard box, the size of her underwear drawer, into her hands, and before she could ask any follow-ups, he was gone. No signature, no acknowledgement.

_What the hell_? Somewhere at the back of her mind, she wondered if it could be an explosive delivered right to her doorstep. Their wedding debacle was fresh in her mind. And that's when she saw the label. The 'return to' address was the rec center where they were supposed to get married.

She stopped in place, staring at the box, wondering whether it was time to start yelling for Jake to call the bomb squad. The box was not heavy at all, too light to hold any metal - and when she shook it, it didn't rattle, but instead she could hear a heavy _ploof_ like a box of blankets that she would bring out at the first hint of fall.

An idea struck her, out of nowhere. _It couldn't be-_

She hurried to the dining table, and put the box down. Throwing caution to the winds, she tore open the flimsy duct tape holding the thin cardboard together, and furiously pulled at the box till it fell open to display the treasures it contained. 

She couldn't help but gape at the contents in pure shock.

"Ames?" Jake called from the bedroom. "Whozzit?"

"Erm, don't worry...just mail!"

"Mail?!"

"Yeah...one of our neighbours got our mail by mistake..."

"Oh...okay."

She could tell he wasn't convinced, but she'd bet her money on him being too lazy to leave the bed, and luckily, this time he was predictable. Amy breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to be alone for a while.

Because, she needed a moment.

She needed _several_ moments. This box, this raggedy box that had turned up at her doorstep with no announcement nor warning, actually contained her _wedding dress_.

The _original_ wedding dress, the one _she'd_ chosen, the one she'd _never_ gotten to wear. 

The one she'd searched for, after the wedding, for so many weeks, to no avail. 

They said it must have been misplaced, discarded by the bomb squad or the cleaning crew. She'd had half a suspicion that Teddy might have had something to do with it...but with everything going on in their lives, she hadn't had enough time for a proper investigation. And so the dress was classified as lost- gone, but never forgotten. Only once, on their wedding night, she'd mentioned her regret at Jake never seeing it, and he'd responded with something sappy like _you could wear a buralp sack and I'd still marry you and ravish you_. And then they'd gotten down to the ravishing, and the dress had never been spoken of again. 

But now, here it was- right in front her, still in its plastic cover, untouched.

Unworn.

With shaky hands, she took it out, wiping away the dust on the plastic, trying not to coo in delight.

To put it simply, the dress was _fucking perfect_. Amy was not a particularly stylish person, or a fashion expert, and she wasn't into clothing as much as she was into stationery. _But this dress -_ she sucked in a breath. It was everything she'd been searching for. The girl at the dress shop had even agreed to do a few customizations for her - a little more lace here, and a little snipping of the train there - some alteration, so it flowed more naturally down her hips than your average mermaid cut, and she'd even agreed to turn the straight-across neckline a little more sweetheart-y.

Even Rosa and Gina had gasped and marvelled in admiration when she'd modeled it for them.

It had made Amy feel so awesome, so happy; to be part of designing her own wedding dress, and she'd been dreaming for ages, of showing it off on her wedding day (and also of _shoving it off_ on her wedding night.) 

She'd imagined, more than once, Jake's face when he saw her in it- not only because she was his pretty bride in white, but _damn_ , that dress made her look and feel sexy. Figure hugging and flowy at the same time, the dress had made Amy feel powerful. Divine. She could see in her mind's eye, Jake worshipping her as he took it off of her.

_Whatever._ It was just a dress, she kept reminding herself.

And it _was_ only a dress, a piece of pretty cloth. And at the end of the day, on May 15th, when Jake took her home, she was not thinking of missed opportunities and lost dresses. She was thinking that she was the luckiest person in the world, to be married to such a wonderful, sexy _as fuck_ , kind man who loved her with all his being.

Still, sometimes, she had those pangs - those pangs of _what if_ that seem to throw wrenches onto the brightest days. 

_What if her parents were present at the wedding? What if she'd gotten to hear her brothers' drunken speeches at their reception? And what if, what if Jake got to see her in her gorgeous wedding dress?_

And now, a bolt from the blue - here it was. 

She could feel her heart beating fast and hard, as she tried to settle her thoughts. She couldn't stop the wave of bitterness that overcame her at the sight of the dress. What was the point of getting the dress now? At least, if she'd found it a month ago, she could have worn it on their honeymoon or something. But, now they were back to their normal lives and normal schedules, and she was in possession of a sublime dress that she would never wear.

Her shoulders drooping, she left the box as it was, and went back to the bedroom, dropping face down onto the bed.

"...Ames?!" 

She heard the rustle of the sheets as Jake moved to face her.

The lump in her throat prevented her from answering, and she was shocked to find tears in her eyes. Her brain tore itself apart, conflicted between 'it's just a dress, get over yourself' versus 'I really, really wanted to wear that dress at my wedding and now I never can.'

Jake seemed to realise the shift in her mood. He moved into a sitting position, and placed a hand on her back.

"Babe? All good?" 

She grunted.

"Amy. Who was at the door?" He added, sharply, protectively, adopting his interrogation voice. Damn, that _still_ sent shivers down her back. 

"A package." She mumbled into her pillow.

Jake's hand on her back tensed. "What was in the package?"

She burrowed herself further into the pillow. "My wedding dress."

"Your-" His tone was confused, incredulous. 

"The original one. The one I bought. The one I was so proud of."

" _Oh_. Oh, Amy." He stroked her hair, now relaxed since she was not in danger. "Well, show me it!"

"It's on the table, go see," she said, dully.

Jake tsked. "No, I meant, wear it and show me-"

Amy almost laughed. "It's too late for that, isn't it?"

Jake stopped caressing her hair. "Late for what?" 

"I mean, we're already married. Do you want to get married again?"

"No, once was enough," he deadpanned, chuckling when she threw him an unamused glare, and leaning down to kiss her cheek in commiseration. "Ames...come on! I know how excited you were..."

"I _was_. Because that dress is exquisite. It is _mind-blowing_. It doesn't deserve being worn by a sweaty, musty lady on a random weekend inside an apartment with its AC broken-"

Jake stopped her spiel with a poke to her side. "Babe. First of all, it's a dress, it's meant to be worn - that's like, it's only job - no buts! And the sweaty, musty lady is a smart, attractive woman who deserves the world; this random weekend is our first lazy weekend in like, six weeks; and this furnace of an apartment is our lovely home - your home, you've made it with your own two hands - don't downplay it!" 

Amy gazed up at him, a glimmer of hope beginning to shine in her eyes. He smiled at her, continuing- 

"And that dress is just a dress- what makes it amazing, will be _you_ wearing it!"

"Jake...look at me! My hair is a mess, I stink, and - "

"Honey, it doesn't matter, I swear."  
He'd suddenly taken to calling her 'honey' after they'd gotten married whether consciously or unknowingly, she didnt know, but it still made her simper like a fourteen year old. "But if it makes you feel better, we have literally nothing else to do, you can take a shower and then put on the dress - and then I'll take pictures of you all day! Look, we've found ourselves something to do!"

Amy sat up slowly, enraptured by his idea. "Will you put on your tux too?" Amy asked, suddenly shy.

Jake pouted. "Ames, it's like a hundred fucking degrees out -  
And I look nowhere as good in a tux as you look in that dress!" 

"Hey! You do." Amy captured his cheeks between his hands. She really liked touching his face, even though it was very stubbly that morning. "You do, Jake, you closet hottie -"

He looked appropriately abashed and smug at the same time.

"-but, to be honest, you don't look bad like _this_ either."

She grinned at him. 'Like this' meaning : shirtless, with only a pair of loose old flannel boxers on, severe bedhead on glorious display.

He winked at her exaggeratedly before going in for a kiss. She smiled and closed her eyes, waiting for the soft pressure that never came.  
Instead, he stoppped a hair's breadth away, and whispered against her lips.

"Go put that dress on, Santiago."

"Jerk!!" Amy cried, and grabbed his hair to pull him for a kiss anyway.

She did end up taking a shower- the sweat would have made the lace and georgette combo stick uncomfortably to her skin. She'd thrown Jake out of the bedroom, not wanting him to sneak a peak. So, he was out trying to make cold milkshakes in the kitchen. 

However, because of their busy jobs, they'd barely had time to go grocery shopping that week and Amy knew they had hardly any food - so god alone knew what things were going into that food processor. (She didn't worry too much, though. Jake had turned out to be a pretty decent cook.)

Fresh from the shower - but immediately beginning to sweat again, _urgh, summer_ \- she gawked at the dress- it seemed to challenge her- _wear me if you can_ \- and Amy was never one to back down from a challenge. 

It was heavy, and she struggled with the zipper for a good ten minutes before she won the battle. Jake had been treated to the sound of his wife cussing out her wedding dress with the choicest of swearwords, but his offers of help had been rejected. 

Finally, finally, fifteen minutes later, Amy stood in front of her dresser mirror, panting hard from the exertion. A droplet of sweat rolled down from her forehead and she wiped it off angrily before it could touch her precious dress. 

And _oh god_ , that dress. She let get gaze travel downwards, taking in the beauty that was this dress.

Sheer at the back, lace panelling at the front, the skirt hugging her hips before flowing out gently to end in a small train. It was truly magical- within minutes, it had converted a sweaty, sloppy, exhausted woman into a bright, blushing bride. 

The sight improved her spirits considerably. 

And now - for Jake. 

Opening the door, she psyched herself for the big reveal, slowly tip-toeing her way to the kitchen.

There she found her husband guzzling down a glass of, lemonade, apparently? And he was drinking it like it was divine nectar, his eyes closed in pleasure. With every gulp, his Adam's apple moved up and down, and the sight was pretty engrossing.

"Did you make some for me?"

Jake opened one eye and promptly choked on his drink.

"Fuck." He said, eloquently.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Amy giggled.

Jake shook his head before replying, not taking his eyes off her even for a second. "There are many things I am right now, Amy, but _scared_ is not one of them," he breathed. 

He reached out in silent invitation, asking her to step into the kitchen, so he could see her in her full glory. 

"Well?" Amy said after he'd done a solid twenty seconds of just ogling.

"Noice." He replied, heartily.

"Jake!!" Amy whined. "Say prettier things!"

He sniggered. "What, like, _my lady, thou doth seem the fairest in all lands_ \- " He put on a faux posh accent, making Amy roll her eyes. 

She pretended to think. "Keep going, maybe in modern English?" She reached him, ready for a kiss or two, but he stretched out his hands to hold her at arms' length, appraising her silently, wonderingly. 

Amy surveyed his face. His lips were curled into an appreciative smirk, his pupils were blown, his cheeks coloured. In Jake's words, _noice_.

Suddenly, he gripped her by the shoulders, and spun her round to face her back.

"Yup. Bombastic butt per usual."

" _Jake!_ " She laughed. "God, maybe it's good I didn't get to wear it at the ceremony!"

He shrugged. "Your butt is fantastic no matter what it's in, in fact, it's the perfect butt for this dress!"

"Don't you mean it's the perfect dress for my butt?"

"Nothing can be perfect as you butt." He emphasized.

Amy only laughed in reponse, full-bellied and elated. She hopped up on the counter, as smoothly as the dress would allow. Grabbing the glass Jake had been drinking from, she took a large swig.

She gazed out of the window into the sultry day, her mood having improved a thousand fold. 

Down below, the noise of city life went on as usual, completely unaffected by mundane things such as the weather.

And here, four floors above, a sweaty couple was being disgustingly sappy, unbothered by the world, uncaring of their surroundings, wrapped up in each other. 

Jake took out his phone and started chanting instructions to her - "okay, turn your neck to the left - oh wait your other left, my bad- yeah, put your arm there- look down, now look up-" 

She watched him chatter on, following his instructions with a fond smile on her face, grinning when he laughed at some joke he'd made himself, sticking her tongue out at him when he looked to her for approval. At one point, it all got _too much_ \- her heart was fit to burst from the swell of emotions she felt for him, and she held her hands out to him and he went, willingly.

It would have been an odd scene, taken out of context- an outsider would have seen a beautiful woman wearing a full-fledged wedding dress, perched on a messy kitchen counter, her arms around a man with unruly hair, clad only in a tank top and boxers. They were gazing out of the window on the hottest day of that summer, bodies entangled - it couldn't have been comfortable, but life couldn't get more blissful if they tried.

"So...now that you're in a wedding dress..."

"Hmm?"

"Time for the wedding night 2.0, right?" 

"....Jake!" She tried to throw him an affronted look, but she couldn't hold back her mirth for long. "Yeah, I guess," she choked out, still guffawing.

Jake let out a whoop of laughter, and squeezed her tight, before sliding his arms around her and heaving, so that he was carrying her, bridal style. 

He stumbled and fumbled all the way to their bedroom, swaying exaggeratedly, making Amy screech and gasp and laugh. 

He stopped at the bed, laying her down as gently as he could (hence, not very) and crawling over her to press a kiss to her lips. It got very filthy very fast, and when they broke apart, Amy was nearly gasping for breath. 

Jake was no better, chest heaving, face red. A bead of sweat trickled down his face. "This is going to get sweaty, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, it's gonna be messy."

"But we're doing it?"

She confirmed her willingness with a quick nod and a smirk. 

It had started off rocky, but it was going to be a great day. _Very Peraltiago-style._

Amy gently pushed him off her and went to stand in front of the bed. Rearranging her features to a mask of innocence, she said, mimicking the fake posh accent he'd put on - 

"It's too hot to be wearing this, isn't it? Perhaps I should just take it off?"

Jake, who'd been staring at her with a dopey expression, (she _knew_ he'd love the dress!!) cracked a smile, and laid himself down over the pillows, hands behind his head, lazily looking her up and down. 

"Hmmmm... _perhaps you should_."

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way I cut out an entire paragraph because it had one line where I'd written that Amy had a great job - but we know that ACAB - so it had to go
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's been commenting and kudos-ing!!!! Love you all!


	12. Does this mean what I think it means?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst

They had thirty minutes to get to court, to present themselves in front of the judge and the jury, which held Jake's and Rosa's fates in the palms of their hands - and so, on the way back from Flaxton Hill Farms, Horseditch, PA; Amy stopped at a Starbucks, for some much-needed caffeine, but mainly for Jake to use the restroom and change into his courtroom formals. _Good impressions are important, Jake, there must not be a single crease in your blazer!_

(That conversation seemed so mundane, so dumb now - now that that the chance of him going to jail was very, very real.)

But - they had found another trick to put up their sleeve, hadn't they? - Michael Langdon! He _did_ say he would testify, and against their better judgement, Jake and Amy found their hopes rising. 

At the table, nursing her third coffee of the day, Amy checked her watch and sighed. Jake had been inside the bathroom for almost fifteen minutes now - they were running late. 

She chewed the inside of her lip, torn between waiting it out and going to investigate what Jake was up to. She didn't want to nag him about being late - she'd done that enough times in their life, and God knew it was the last thing the poor man needed right now. That being said, being late would create a bad impression in front of the jury, and they were all that stood between Jake and him going back home, and not an incarceration center, that day.

Foot tapping incessantly, she buried her face in her palms, conflicting emotions causing chaos in her brain. Across her, Matthew Langdon was surveying the coffee shop with an air of... _satisfaction_ , or so it seemed. For some reason, it freaked Amy out. _He's going to help_ , she tried to convince herself. _He's going to get Jake out of this mess._

Five more minutes passed, with no sign of Jake, and the unease got too much for her to bear- concern gave way to worry which morphed into actual fear - _Had he done a runner? Was he on run from the law? Did he plan to skip states and live as a fugitive for the rest of -_

_Cut it out_ , she instructed her brain sharply. Now was not the time to fall prey to overthinking. 

Hesitating briefly, she closed her eyes and sent a quick prayer up to whoever was listening, before making her way to the bathroom and giving the door a sharp rap.

No response. 

Amy sucked in a breath, trying to keep her breathing under control. _Please let him be fine, please let him be okay, please let him just have bad diarrhea from the nerves and nothing more-_

She knocked again, this time using the special _bang-tap-bang_ that he used when they had just started dating, and hadn't exchanged keys yet. They hadn't used it in a long time, never since starting to live together, but Amy would forever treasure the memories, of waiting on Jake to come over, all the while daydreaming of making out on the couch till dinner arrived, of the way Jake ran his fingers over the planes of her stomach, the sounds he made when she kissed his jaw, the wild stories he told as the did the dishes after dinner - she would be in the midst of these pleasant thoughts when he would arrive, with his special door-knock and the light-up smile that he seemed to reserve only for her. 

She was brought out of her reverie by the bathroom door being wrenched open, revealing a weirdly placid Jake, which sent Amy's thoughts into overdrive - Jake was never this cucumber cool, never this... _blank_. His face was always, always so expressive, and this blank expression only meant he was putting on a front. _Uh-oh._

"Ames." He said. "Can you come in here, for a sec?" 

His voice was not at all shaky or faltering, which did nothing to alleviate her fear. She obliged, getting inside the small space and shutting the door behind her, thinking, hoping he only needed help with his tie or something. Thoughts about how someone might see and wrongly judge two adults entering a public bathroom together didn't even cross her mind.

Jake was turned away from her, his back facing her anxious expression. "Jake?" She said, though it came out more as a whisper than anything else. 

He sighed, and then turned around slowly, like his limbs were heavy - and yet Amy absolutely did _not_ expect the expression of absolute desolation that was on his face. 

Her breath hitched. "Jake? What's wrong?" As soons as the words left her mouth, she pinched herself. _That was the most stupid question in the world._ What's wrong, _seriously, Amy._

He looked at the sickly green floor tiles as he spoke. "Amy - what we talked about-"

"What? Which bit?" She said quickly, trying to keep her voice even. 

He still refused to meet her eyes. "Listen...I think, there's a good chance, now that we have Langdon on our side, that we might win. But...you never know-"

Amy nodded rapidly, thinking maybe, he just needed a pep talk. Good. _Those, she could do_. "I know, Jake. It is - it's scary, and the fact that you are in this situation in the first place is the most disgusting thing that has ever happened. But we are going to get through it, and - and, maybe this time tomorrow, we'll be looking at tickets to Paris!" She finished in a flurry, hoping that the smile she gave him was reassuring and calming, and not contorting her face like she had gas. 

He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes, and a cold shiver went down her spine - not the pleasant tingles she usually got when he smiled at her. She had a feeling she was not going to like what was coming...

"Right, Jake?" She urged. 

"Y-yeah. But, Ames-" He sighed again, running a hand through his curls, messing them up. "If things don't work out, and I do get convicted-"

"Jake, we talked about this - we aren't going to just _take it_ \- if something like that - god forbid - does happen. The Nine-Nine will fight to get you out-" 

He chewed on his nails as he listened to her. For some reason, none of what she was saying seemed to be having any effect on him. He cleared his throat, cutting her off. "I'm sure they will, and I know you will too. I never doubted that, and I never will. I know how lucky I am, to have such an amazing support system."

Amy reached out to squeeze his arm, trying to get him to look at her. "Exactly! We are all here for you, _I_ am here for you, and we won't let-" 

Somehow, her words, meant to be reassuring, seemed to put a bigger and bigger frown on his face till he stopped her spiel with a whine, causing her to abruptly pause. "Amy, I know, I _know_ all of that. I have absolute faith in all of you, you're the only reason I'm not a fucking mess right now - but that's not what- _that's not what I'm worried about_." 

Amy tried not to let the extreme confusion show on her face. "Jake...what are you saying? What's bothering you? Is it about Langdon? Is it about our lawyer?" 

"No, Ames. I'm talking about- I'm talking about _us_..."

Amy was shocked into silence.  
"Wha - _us_?" What d'you mean, us? _We_ are fine! We are more than fine. We are amazing!"

"Ame-"

"Aren't we? Aren't we, Jake? What's going on?"

"You, you are amazing, Amy. I, on the other hand, am currently on trial for larceny." 

Amy couldn't help the sound of exasperation that left her at that. " _Wrongfully_! Wrongfully on trial for a crime you didn't commit-" 

"You know that, I know that, but what matters is if the jury believes it! If they don't, Amy, I am going to jail for fifteen-fucking-YEARS!" His voice went high-pitched with every word, and at the end of his diatribe, he was as red as a strawberry. 

Her hands shaking, Amy shook her head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "Jake...what are you trying to say...?" 

He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily, like he was trying really hard not to cry. "I'm saying... that I do not want to be deadweight, pulling you down. You deserve better."

Amy laughed rather maniacally at that, the sound shocking Jake enough to finally look at her in the face. "Does this mean what I think it means? Are you trying to break up with me?"

He didn't deny it. "I mean, Ames- c'mon-"

But Amy had officially lost it at that point. The last month has been super stressful for the both of them, the last week especially so, and Amy had run through a billion scenarios of obstacles and what-ifs and yet, yet, breaking up had _never_ been amongst them. Hence, the confidence with which she had literally just told him a couple of hours ago, that she would wait for him, no matter what. And here he was - trying to break them up?! Not in even the most scariest of scenarios, had she thought that _this_ would be a problem they would have to face! So, no one could blame her then, for the rant that came spilling out of her, at that.  
"Y-you have no authority to tell me, what I deserve or do not deserve, and you have no right to make my decisions for me! I'm a grown woman with my own opinions and thoughts and _who_ are you to tell me - "

"Amy." He was frustrated. "Upto _fifteen fucking years_ if things go bad. _You_ are the one who kept telling me to be always prepared, even for the worst!"

She had to try with all her might to not scream. "This is not _preparing for the worst_ , Jake! It's _giving up_! That is what this is! _You are giving up on us_!"

But Jake was not backing down. He was as stubborn as Amy, and when he put his mind to something, he was an unmovable boulder. "And you are giving up a chance for a normal life, Amy! A normal, proper life, with a boyfriend who is actually present in it! What do you think your family is going to say when they find out you're in a relationship with a prisoner-"

"Jake! Don't say that! You're not- you're not-" Her voice cracked, and she had to put a hand over her mouth to prevent sobs from bursting out.

He shook his head sadly. "Ames, but there is a very real chance I could be. Listen, I love you. I love you, so fucking much - you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. You think I'm enjoying this? You think I want to let you go? To see you to fall in love with someone else because I may never get to be the man you need me to be -"

_What was this conversation?!_ "Jake, Jake, you _already are_ the man I need you to be! You aren't making sense- you are the only one I want - "

"Amy...I've seen your life calendar...you've worked so hard, all your life, you can't change that for anyone- "

"Babe! You are not just anyone! You are the _love of my life_!" It was the first time she'd ever said that, out loud, and his eyes widened, almost imperceptibly. She lowered her volume, her voice becoming softer. "And- and all of those milestones and goals don't mean a thing to me, if you aren't a part of them -" 

Jake was breathing heavily, looking up at the ceiling. "Ames- "

"We got through Florida, we can do it again!"

"Ames, that was different! The decision was rushed, and hurried, and we were too scared to think about other stuff, and we didn't even have any time to prepare! Also everyone was so sure we would be back in, like a month!"

"But no, you were there for nearly six months, weren't you?" 

"Yes, but-" 

"Jake. Remember when we'd only been dating for s-six days and you were willing to give up your j-job?Your dream job, for this? For us?Jake, you know we have something _special_! Our relationship - this is not your normal garden variety thing we have going on! It's d-different! It's _more_! And this- this is just a blip in the road. And we have _so far_ to go. And I know you want to b-believe this- " She let herself break down, finally, feeling tears drip onto her collarbone. She made no move to stop them. 

Across her, Jake was no better.  
"I do. I swear, I do want to believe that. God, Ames, I love you so much. Baby, I only want you to be happy, that's it. I want you to live the life of your dreams. As long as you are happy, I will be, too. And I just - I just wanted to let you know, that if you ever feel that I'm getting in the way of that, of living your best life, you have the right to push me aside and move on." His voice broke at the end, and he couldn't hold back the sob that left him. 

Amy was openly weeping by this point. She rubbed her eyes angrily with her shirtsleeves, and tried to calm herself before she responded. "Okay, honey, thanks for your self-sacrificing speech and all, but no. You hear me?  
I'm not leaving you. Even if you have to go to jail- I will get you out of there. I will wait till you come back. I said it before, and I meant it, with all my heart. I -"

"Ames, but listen-" 

But Amy was on a roll. She was no longer confused - she had a goal- Make Jake See Sense. "Don't interrupt me! You promised - when we moved in together- you said _no matter what_! You said _rest of our lives_! And I'm not stupid, I know - I _know_ the future is never a guarantee. But Jake, if you think a fucking snake, a deplorable, crooked, sorry excuse for a human called Melanie Hawkins is worth breaking up our relationship over, then I will _never_ forgive you, Jake Peralta. Never."

Jake was shaking, face in hands.  
"I'm sorry." He stuttered out, somehow. "I'm so sorry."

She crossed the one foot distance between them, and placed her hands on his waist. He was still trying to wipe his tears off, but they kept falling and falling. 

"Hey," she murmured into his ear. "I love you. And you love me."

He nodded, looking at her with bloodshot eyes. "I do," he stated simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

She went closer to him, circling her arms around his waist. "Yes. We are not breaking up."

His arms hung limply by his side as he nodded at her fervently, making his whole body vibrate. "Yes. Okay." 

"Okay?" She asked, trying for an uplifting tone, hoping it worked. 

He sniffed. "I don't want to break up." 

"I don't want to, either."

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I was just scared." 

"I know. I'm sorry too. I should have been more clearer - before." 

He shook his head, finally bringing up his hands to hold her face. "No. You love me just right. I only want to do the same for you." 

"And you do. And you will. Please, don't let me or us be something you have to be worried about, right now. Okay? You're stuck with me." 

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he quipped in his usual style, only his hoarse voice tell-tale of their recent loss of composure. 

"And you won't." She smiled at him, and at long last, he smiled back, a genuine one this time. A watered-down version of his usual twenty-four karat grin, but a smile, nonetheless. 

"Yup. Good. Great." He nodded as they separated, making space for him to wash his face. He blew his nose loudly, making Amy choke out a laugh. When he was done splashing away any residual tears and snot, he looked up at her, face dripping. Amy snorted, pulling out a handkerchief from her purse and wiping his face, kissing him on his nose when she was done. 

"Let's go?" She asked quietly. They were running so very late now, and she knew there would be dozens of missed calls and texts on her phone, but it all seemed so inconsequential now. 

He nodded, but not before stepping forward and engulfing her in a huge hug, burrowing his face in her neck, throwing his arms around her middle, snatching her up so they were pressed into each other. "I'm sorry. I love you. More than anything else."

She nodded into his shoulder, one arm rubbing his back, the other gripping his neck. "We are going to get you through this, one way or the other, alright?" 

He nodded, kissing her on the cheek before he reluctantly let go, still keeping his hands on her hips. She wasn't ready to leave just yet either, so she placed her hands on his shoulders.

She pecked him on the lips, once, twice, three times and had to hold herself back from a dozen more.  
There would be time for this later. 

(Later. If only she knew how late this later would be.)

He nuzzled her with his nose, pulling her in for a much deeper kiss. Salty from the tears and gentle and smooth from the declarations of love, it was somehow one of the most bittersweet kisses they would share. 

As they broke apart, Amy let him rest his forehead on hers, as they tended to do when overwhelmed, for a while, before nudging him into motion. Sweet moments aside, they still had the trial to attend, the verdict yet to change the course of their lives. And when he was ready, she took his hand, interlaced their fingers, and together, they stepped out to meet their fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what a Starbucks bathroom in the US looks like, I imagined a normal cafe unisex bathroom with a sink and a can and sometimes one urinal thingy and also horrible lighting, a weird smell, and disgusting decor. (I hate public bathrooms.)  
> P.S. did this make you cry?


	13. I'd like it if you stayed.  (Rated T)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah idk either but I've really missed these two!!!

Utterly spent and totally wiped out from round three of some ultra delicious sex, Jake and Amy lay side by side on his lumpy mattress, pants and heaves slowing down into shallow breaths, sweat cooling on their chests. 

Amy _tried_ to bring her brain back into function, but the practical part of it seemed to have gone on vacation the moment she'd laid her eyes on Jake waiting on her in _Bouche Manger_ , sporting a cute new haircut and wearing a _dinner jacket_ \- looking all nervous and eager and _so, so gorgeous_. 

The first round of sex had been a mutually agreed rapid tangle - the second had been initiated by Jake when they talked about sex tapes, and that got him hard again - and the third had been initiated by Amy, after she'd asked him which round was better and he'd said, _I got the topped the fuck out by Amy Santiago, dude, my brain isn't working_.

Anyway, they were pretty much done for the night, if the soreness between Amy's legs and in Jake's thighs, was any indication.

But now, side by side, the silence was only comfortable as long as it took for them to regain normal lung function. 

But then they were back to square one (a.k.a. the Domo Arigato disaster of Bouche Manger circa 2014) of awkwardness, with the added weirdness of We Just Had Sex For The First Time So What Next? 

"So-" Jake finally spoke, the very second Any began to say, "Where's the-" 

"Oh, sorry-" 

"Wait, what did-"

"Oh, you go first-"

"No, no, what were you saying?" 

"Oh, um, just, where's the bathroom?" 

"Oh! It's right there, it's the-" He cracked a grin at that. "It's the only other door in the apartment, apart from the front door. And I don't think you want to open that one, looking like this-" He gestured with a smirk to where her naked body was lying under his sheets. 

"Oh, shut up!" Amy scoffed, and like that, the spell was broken. "I _know_ where your bathroom is. I just asked cause well, courtesy, or politeness, or whatever!! I've been there before, I've seen the seven species of mold that grow in the bathtub!" 

" 'Courtesy', Ames?" Jake faux-gasped. " _Really_? After I let you see my perfect butt?" 

Amy had to stiffle a giggle at that. "And touch, too." 

"And touch." Jake conceded. "And maybe more?" Amy snorted, loudly, prompting Jake to beam at her. "Later though, my legs feel like they don't belong, right now. Though, I see you not disputing the fact about its perfect-ness, and that's kinda getting me going again." 

Amy full on laughed at that. Jake Peralta was truly a phenomenon. And, in that moment, any doubts, questions, regrets, worries; that she may have had about breaking a rule, completely vanished. Gone. This was _Jake_. Amy _knew_ Jake. Above all, he was a genuine, kind man whom she truly trusted. The thing was, she was an awkward human being in general - she'd felt weird around Teddy for a full week after they'd had sex for the first time. But that was just her - always worrying, so nervous. 

But no one had ever made her feel as comfortable as Jake had. At first, it had been the alcohol that gave her the strength to be able to kiss him against a car, in full view of the general public. But later, all her courage, she owed to Jake. Jake, who had been gentle and sweet and careful and understanding and _so, so appreciative._

And she also owed some confidence to the fact that _damn_ , under that leather and cotton and flannel, hid a pretty hot male human, who happened to be a superstar at kissing. And other things. That made her throw caution to the winds.

So she gathered up all her remaining bravery, and used it to throw the sheets off of her, pick up Jake's discarded dress shirt from that night; and sashayed to the bathroom, making sure Jake got a prime view of her butt. (which he'd also touched.)

And if the sharp intake of breath she heard behind her was any indication, he probably had. 

When she returned, he was lying on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling with a tiny, content smile on his face, the streetlight throwing his chin dimple into sharp relief. 

Amy was disappointed, though, because she'd counted on him watching her walk back- she'd cleverly arranged the shirt to flatter and frame her boobs - but it was alright, he soon turned his head to look at her, and Amy immediately gave up her slouched-shoulder position in favour of the straight-back boob-poppin' one. 

And then she got to experience the delight of seeing his eyes widen almost imperceptibly when the shirt flashed open and her nipple made an appearance, and Amy preened under his lustful gaze. 

"Jake, I was wrong," she began, her voice husky and hushed. 

"Wha- who- why?" He managed, looking scared, excited and turned on all at once. 

"About you-" she began, drawing out her words. His eyes were blazing. "And your bathroom. Turns out there are _eight_ types of mold, not seven-" 

"Oh, fuck off!" He groaned and threw her a dirty look, while Amy laughed and laughed and reveled in the joy of having Pranked the Prankster. He didn't take his eyes off her even once, though. Not one single time.

She was looking into his eyes, too, just beginning to shimmy off the shirt, when her phone beeped, and she instinctively turned to glance at it. 

And a horrible thought struck her when she saw the time illuminated against the screen.

It was 2 AM, and they had work the next day. Above all, they had been dating for less than 24 hours, and they were pretty sober at this point. 

What if Jake expected her to go home? Didn't Societal First Date Rules mandate her sleeping in her own bed, in her own apartment, because it was Too Soon to Stay the Night Especially If You Aren't Drunk? 

"Amy? You okay?" Jake was peering at her curiously. 

She gulped. She didn't mind staying back- _hell_ , she actually had a not-so-tiny desire to _stay_. And cuddle!

But the last thing she wanted to do was overstay her welcome, and make things weird.

She really, _really_ wanted this relationship to work. 

"Oh, um, nothing. Just-um-should, do I - should I go home? I mean! I should go home, right? Right?"

Jake looked as freaked out as she sounded and _fuck_ , she'd blown this up, hadn't she? 

"Ames-" 

"I mean, like, I don't mind either way, or like, I'm just - sorry, I don't know how this goes. Should I sleep on the couch? Wait, no, that'll be weirder, we aren't teenagers-"

"Amy!" He stopped her rambling with a chuckle. "Um, if you want to go home, I won't stop you, of course, but, I mean, it's late and you don't have your car, and erm, we're going to the same place tomorrow- and uh, of course, _anything's_ good, and-" 

He took a deep breath and bit his lip, looked away, and Amy had technically been his 'jinglebin' for less than a day; but she knew it was hard for him to say whatever he was going to.

He took a deep breath. "And, Amy, I'd like it if you stayed." 

Amy's eyebrows shot up, but only for a fraction of a second, because soon she was filled with a gooey warmth that came with feeling _real good_. 

_He wanted her to stay. They were good. This was good._

He finally raised his eyes to meet hers, and they were shining with deep sincerity, hope and anticipation. And Amy understood how worried he'd been to say those words, and the effort he'd taken to speak them.

"I, um, yeah." And she steeled herself, for saying _I would like to stay_ instead of _I don't mind staying_ (Were they already on 'like" level as opposed to 'don't mind' level?) 

Looking into his soulful, eager eyes, Amy decided that was a question for tomorrow. For daylight and office desks, not for nights and soft beds.

She exhaled, flashed him a grin. "I'd like to stay, too." 

She didn't let herself think about it, then. When Jake picked up his arm from over the sheets and put it over her pillow so she could get under the covers, she pressed it down before he could take it back, and put her head down on his arm before curling up towards him, putting her head on his chest and throwing her arm around his tummy.

"Is this okay?" She whispered into his wispy chest hair.

She had a million more questions. _Can you sleep like this, is this annoying, is this too restrictive_ but she forgot them all, when he gave her a contented, dopey smile.

"It's so, so okay," he yawned.

"Okay." She giggled at his humongous yawn, darting her head up to kiss his cheek. "Go to sleep. See you tomorrow, sweet dreams." She murmured.

He chuckled, suddenly. "Isn't it technically _today_ , though, cause it's 2 AM -" 

_How did he manage to be so infuriating when he looked so dreamy; all cozy and sleepy and cute?_ "Jake, we are not _thirteen year olds_!"

"No, I'm just saying - no, Ames, AMES! That's my tickly spot! _THAT'S MY TICKLY SPOT_!!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by that picture of the script I saw on Twitter which had a deleted scene - Jake and Amy deffo spent the night together, and Amy stayed back at his place, after that first date.


	14. I think I'm in love...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Jake being a sap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I like to think this is set after their respective breakups with Teddy and Sophia, and right before Dave Majors, when Jake decides to finally ask Amy out._

It was 8 PM, on a beautiful summer evening - one of those days, that turned even New York City gorgeous. Everyone was in high spirits, enjoying the amazing weather, spending their evenings out of their homes. 

But Det. Jake Peralta and Amy Santiago were not among those happy New Yorkers.

They were holed up in the 99th precinct, discussing their game plan for that night's job: to catch a well-known money launderer, red handed. Under the cover of an art dealer, he distributed the laundered cash at brunches, art gallery openings and high stakes auctions, full of people willing to do anything to exempt them from taxation. 

Tonight they were headed to a Boutique inauguration or something, apparently by a RHONY alum, or someone.

Jake couldn't keep track, you see, because his attention was elsewhere. 

Namely, on Amy. 

"...and then, you corner him outside the bathroom, initiate the conversation. He's gonna fall for it, one hundred percent, and we're gonna have him. Okay?"

"Yeah, I corner him in the bathroom, got it-" 

"No, Jake - _outside_ the bathroom! Outside, not in! C'mon, man, we've been over this!" 

"Right, sorry! Could we go over it once more, just in case?" 

She smoothed out the blueprints of the store again, sighing in exaggerated irritation. Jake knew how much into 'going over plans' she was. So he wasn't being selfish or annoying at all. He was just making sure they were well versed with the plans so they could be executed without a hitch.

...Okay, maybe there was a teensy bit of selfishness in there. Maybe he really enjoyed the glow that came over her face when she did something she loved. Maybe it did a little something to his tummy, the way her eyes gleamed when she was pleased and proud. Maybe it did a lot something to his tummy, if he was the one to put that gleam in her eyes. 

In an aggressive motion, she pushed a strand of shiny black hair behind her left ear with her right hand, but it refused to stay in place, swinging right back to tickle her cheek. Jake idly wondered what would happen if he were to reach out and push it back for her, maybe hold it in place while she focused on her presentation. Would she look up at him through her eyelashes, surprise in those big brown eyes? Would her cheek heat up at the slightest touch of his fingers? Would she be annoyed, (more likely) and scrunch up her adorable nose at him in annoyance, beating him back with the roll of blueprints in her other hand? 

She snapped her fingers in front of his face in anger, and he realised he'd probably been staring at her jaw. _Pull yourself together, Jake_.

"Jake! God, fine. Look - pay attention, okay? We have to be there on time, we can't keep doing this- " 

He nodded solemnly at her, and his apparent alertness seemed to calm her down. She threw him a quick half-smile of relief, and once again began her spiel of How to Catch A Criminal, which was his job, right, so he didn't need to pay full attention to her words- 

He could let half of his attention wander...wander to her. Wander to her dainty fingers, tapping along the maps. Wander to her perfect lips, (always so soft in his dreams.) ( _What? No, he didn't have dreams about her, pshawww, why do you ask?_ ), the corner of which she bit so delicately, when deep in thought. Wander a bit downwards now, to the ink stain on her neck, from when her pen had leaked (after which she'd cursed the brand to High Heaven, and damn, Jake had never seen anyone so passionate about stationery. He hadn't see anyone so passionate, period.)

He took a while, wondered what it would be like if it was _another_ mark on her neck. Namely, a hickey. Made by something other than a pen. Namely, him. Wander further down her baby pink blouse, to her - 

A loud clanking brought his wandering gaze back to her forehead. She'd dropped one of the paperweights holding down the blueprints, breaking his daydream.

She soldiered on, though. "Oh, shit, sorry - and then you corner him, right there, stall until he becomes complacent and everyone is in position, and then make the arrest. Okay? It'll work, right? What do you think?" 

She looked at him quizzically and apprehensively, clearly doubting the genius of her plan. Which sucked, because at the end of the day, Jake knew, for sure, how much of a genius she was. For all his wandering and wondering and dreaming and despairing; Jake appreciated her smarts over everything. He loved the way her brain worked. It was logical and creative in equal parts, it always helped her make him smile, and it made nerdy, sweet, high-strung, disciplined, sassy Amy, _Amy_. It made Amy who she was. It made Amy, Amy. 

The Amy Jake was _Head over Heels for_.

"Jake, Jake, what do you think?" She insisted. 

"I think I'm in love..."

"Huh?" Her face scrunched up, just as Jake bit back an expletive, having realised what he'd said (in a breathless tone, staring into her eyes, nonetheless. God, he was such a sucker.) (But also, yay! Adorable nose pout!) 

"-with _the plan_! I'm in love. With the plan. 'Cause it's going to work. Because I am a part of it - okay time to go, Santiago-"

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, keep fighting for justice! Advocacy is important across all platforms!


End file.
